Michael DeMocker / The Times-PicayuneEric Gordon agreed late Tuesday night to a four-year contract offer from the Phoenix Suns, who are seeking a cornerstone player.

Gordon will sign the offer sheet July 11, and the Hornets will have three days to match it.

New Orleans General Manager Dell Demps has said since the free agency period began last weekend that Gordon remains a priority to be re-signed, and sources say the Hornets will match the Suns’ offer.

In a prepared statement Gordon said: “After visiting the Suns, the impression the organization made on me was incredible. (Owner) Mr. (Robert) Sarver, (President) Lon Babby, (General Manager) Lance Blanks, the front office staff and Coach (Alvin) Gentry run a first-class organization, and I strongly feel they are the right franchise for me. Phoenix is just where my heart is now.’’

Gordon arrived in Phoenix on Monday night and had dinner with team officials. On Tuesday afternoon, Gordon was greeted by more than 100 Suns employees when he arrived at the U.S. Airways Center. Phoenix rolled out the orange carpet for Gordon and had his name on a billboard sign in front of the arena: “Gordon cornerstone,” a suggestion that Gordon could become the cornerstone of the franchise. Phoenix met with Houston Rockets guard Goran Dragic on Tuesday morning and extended him the same festive welcoming as it did Gordon.

The Suns are seeking a franchise player to build their team around because veteran point guard Steve Nash, an unrestricted free agent, isn’t expected to re-sign and could end up with the Dallas Mavericks or Toronto Raptors.

Gordon was seeking a maximum-money contract, but the Hornets are the only team that can extend him a five-year, $79 million deal. With Gordon setting his market value with the Suns’ offer, the Hornets won’t have to offer him a five-year deal to retain him. In January, the Hornets offered Gordon a four-year, $50 million extension, but he turned it down to pursue free agency.

Gordon, a 6-foot-4, 215 pound shooting guard, met with officials from the Indiana Pacers and the Houston Rockets on Sunday. He wanted to have a decision made before heading to Las Vegas later this week for Team USA practices.

The Hornets acquired Gordon in December from the Los Angeles Clippers in a blockbuster trade that involved All-Star point guard Chris Paul. Although Gordon finished last season as the Hornets’ leading scorer with a 20.6 average, he played in only nine games after requiring surgery on his right knee to remove cartilage particles.

Demps and Coach Monty Williams say they have seen enough and want to build their team around Gordon, despite acquiring former Kentucky power forward Anthony Davis with the No. 1 pick in last month’s NBA draft and selecting former Duke guard Austin Rivers with the No. 10 overall pick.

“We want to bring Eric back,” Demps said. “He’s committed. He wants to be a big-time player. It’s important to us to bring in good people, people who can fit in the locker room and people you want to root and cheer for. People that want to win. We’re trying to build for the long haul.”

There have been questions concerning Gordon’s desire to play in New Orleans since he arrived. In February, Gordon’s commitment was questioned after tweeting about watching a Syracuse-Louisville college basketball game while the Hornets were playing the Utah Jazz at the New Orleans Arena.

Williams has sought to clear up any misconceptions, saying before the free agency period began that Gordon intimated to him that New Orleans was the place he wanted to be.

“I know different stuff gets reported, but I can go off what me and him talk about,” Williams said. “I’m excited about getting him back this summer. I think he’s really good for these young guys.”